Classic French Onion Soup Recipe

A bowl of French onion soup topped with melted cheese and bread, garnished with herbs. Served on a plate with a side of kale salad and a sprig of thyme.

5 from 4 votes

This classic French Onion Soup is rich, comforting, and topped with a golden, bubbly layer of Gruyère cheese. Perfect for a cozy dinner on a chilly evening!

Prep Time20

Cook Time1 20

Total Time1 40

Servings:

Calories: 432kcal

Author: Chef Molly Pisula

Ingredients

5 large yellow onions about 3 ½ pounds
2 garlic cloves
4 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
½ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
¼ cup white wine
5 cups beef stock
2 sprigs fresh thyme plus more for garnish
1 bay leaf
½ teaspoon kosher salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
4 thick slices of baguette or sourdough bread lightly toasted
1 ¼ cups shredded gruyère cheese about 3 ¾ ounces

Instructions

Peel onions and slice thinly.
Mince garlic cloves.
Melt butter and olive oil in a large saucepan.
Add sliced onions and garlic and a pinch of salt.
Cook over medium-low heat for about an hour, stirring occasionally. Add Worcestershire sauce after about 30 minutes and stir well. When the onions begin to caramelize, they will begin to stick to the bottom of the pan. Stir more frequently at this point, scraping any browned bits into the rest of the onions. At the end of the hour, the onions should be very soft and caramelized golden brown. If not, continue to cook onions, stirring frequently, until they are caramelized.
Stir in wine, and cook until any extra liquid has evaporated.
Pour in beef stock, along with 2 sprigs of fresh thyme, a bay leaf, salt, and pepper.
Turn heat to medium-high to bring to a simmer. Then turn down the heat a little and simmer soup gently for 15 minutes.
Remove thyme sprigs and bay leaf.
Taste soup and add more salt and pepper, as needed.
Divide soup into four broiler-safe bowls. Add a slice of lightly toasted bread to the top of each bowl. Divide the shredded cheese between the bowls, topping both the bread and the soup.
Broil until cheese is melted and beginning to brown, about 3-4 minutes.
Garnish with thyme leaves and serve!

Notes

Saucepan will be very full with the raw onion slices. Don’t worry! Though it is a little hard to stir them at first, they will pretty quickly cook down and soon will take up much less room.

Caramelizing onions takes time, but it’s so worth it! Resist the urge to turn up the heat and rush the process—slow and low cooking develops the best flavor. You want those onions to cook to an even golden brown, but not a super dark brown. If they start to scorch at all, they will turn bitter. If they dry out so much that they are burning rather than caramelizing, add water a little bit at a time to deglaze the pan.

If you’d like a thicker broth, you can whisk in a tablespoon or two of flour after adding the wine and before adding the beef stock.

I like to place the soup crocks on a rimmed baking sheet, so you can easily transport more than one at a time—and catch any spills.

Don’t have broiler-safe French onion soup crocks? No worries! You can use a kitchen torch to melt cheese and crisp the edges of your toast. Or, make the cheesy toast using an air fryer or toaster oven, then place it on the soup just before serving.

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